A health advisory for contact with marine water at Nelscott Beach in Lincoln County is lifted today by the Oregon Department of Human Services (DHS), in conjunction with the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and Oregon Parks and Recreation Department.

The advisory was issued on April 28 after water sample tests at Nelscott beach showed higher-than-normal levels of enterococcus, a type of fecal bacteria, in the marine water. Subsequent testing showed the contamination had subsided and the waters did not pose a higher-than-normal risk associated with water-contact activities.

State officials continue to encourage recreational activities at this beach.

Water quality is monitored at select beaches along Oregon’s coast by the Oregon Beach Monitoring Program. The program is funded by a grant from the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Oregon state agencies participating in this program include the Oregon Department of Human Services, Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, and the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. More detailed test results are available on the Web.